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1000 km Brands Hatch

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The Brands Hatch 1000 km was an endurance sports car event that was part of the World Sportscar Championship for varying years from 1967 until 1989. Originally a six-hour race running under the name BOAC 500, the event was eventually extended to 1000 kilometres under a number of different sponsorship titles.

History

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In 1966, a non-championship sports car race was held at Brands Hatch for a distance of 500 miles, with drivers David Piper and Bob Bondurant easily taking victory in an AC Cobra. With the success of this initial event, the World Sportscar Championship would add Brands Hatch to their calendar, while the British Sports Car Championship replaced their Guards Trophy event. However, unlike the initial race's set distance of 500 miles, the new event would be run for six hours. Even with a timed race, BOAC stepped in as the primary sponsor and chose to retain the 500 mile distance in the name, earning the popular title BOAC 500.

The 1968 race took place on 7 April, a date which will be remembered as that on which Jim Clark, originally expected to take part in the race, instead took part in a Formula 2 race at the Hockenheimring in Germany where he crashed and was killed.

As the speeds of competitors improved during the early years, the drivers would actually set distances beyond even 600 miles. It was therefore decided in 1970 that the event would be extended to a set distance of 1000 kilometres, which was the distance used by five other events in the World Sportscar Championship's calendar. The race, now retitled the BOAC 1000, would continue in this form until it was temporarily dropped from the series in 1973. It would once again be part of the schedule in 1974, but this time with British Airways replacing BOAC as sponsor. The race would however not return again in 1975 and would go on a three-year hiatus.

Following some reconstruction of Brands Hatch in 1976, the World Championship of Makes (split from the World Sportscar Championship) would return to the track in 1977 with a six-hour timed race replacing the 1000 kilometre set distance. The event would skip one more year in 1978, before returning permanently in 1979. The six-hour requirement was abandoned once again in 1981 as the event returned to its familiar 1000 kilometre format, which would continue until 1988. For the final appearance of Brands Hatch on the World Sportscar Championship calendar in 1989, the race would be shortened to 480 kilometres, as would nearly every race that season.

Winners

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Year Drivers Team Car
500 Mile distance
1966 United Kingdom David Piper
United States Bob Bondurant
United Kingdom The Chequered Flag AC Cobra
6 Hour distance
1967 United Kingdom Mike Spence
United States Phil Hill
United States Chaparral Cars Inc. Chaparral 2F-Chevrolet
1968 United Kingdom Brian Redman
Belgium Jacky Ickx
United Kingdom J.W. Automotive Ford GT40 Mk.I
1969 United Kingdom Brian Redman
Switzerland Jo Siffert
Germany Porsche System Engineering Porsche 908/02
1000 km distance
1970 Mexico Pedro Rodríguez
Finland Leo Kinnunen
United Kingdom J.W. Automotive Engineering Porsche 917K
1971 Italy Andrea de Adamich
France Henri Pescarolo
Italy Autodelta SpA Alfa Romeo T33/3
1972 United States Mario Andretti
Belgium Jacky Ickx
Italy SpA Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari 312PB
1974 France Jean-Pierre Beltoise
France Jean-Pierre Jarier
France Equipe Gitanes Matra-Simca MS670C
6 Hour distance
1977 Belgium Jacky Ickx
Germany Jochen Mass
Germany Martini Racing Porsche 935/77
1979 Germany Reinhold Joest
Germany Volkert Merl
Germany Joest Racing Porsche 908/3 Turbo
1980 Italy Riccardo Patrese
Germany Walter Röhrl
Italy Lancia Corse Lancia Monte Carlo Turbo
1000 km distance
1981 United Kingdom Guy Edwards
Spain Emilio de Villota
United Kingdom Team Lola Lola T600-Ford Cosworth
1982 Belgium Jacky Ickx
United Kingdom Derek Bell
Germany Rothmans Porsche Porsche 956
1983 United Kingdom Derek Warwick
United Kingdom John Fitzpatrick
United Kingdom JDavid Racing Porsche Porsche 956
1984 United Kingdom Jonathan Palmer
Netherlands Jan Lammers
United Kingdom Canon Racing/GTi Engineering Porsche 956
1985 Germany Hans Joachim Stuck
United Kingdom Derek Bell
Germany Rothmans Porsche Porsche 962C
1986 Italy Mauro Baldi
France Bob Wollek
United Kingdom Liqui Moly Equipe Porsche 956 GTi
1987 Brazil Raul Boesel
Denmark John Nielsen
United Kingdom Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-8
1988 United Kingdom Andy Wallace
United Kingdom Martin Brundle
Denmark John Nielsen
United Kingdom Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-9
480 km distance
1989 Italy Mauro Baldi
United Kingdom Kenny Acheson
Germany Team Sauber Mercedes Sauber C9-Mercedes
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  • Racing Sports Cars - World Sportscar Championship (photos of every 1000 km Brands Hatch, 1967–1989)